Musician, Photographer, Journalist

A bit of parental-adolescent psychology for today’s Sciencebase blog post, encapsulated in a song. You’ll remember The Undertones’ classic – Teenage Kicks – a song of nostalgia, of lost youth, of unrequited love, of the pleasure, the pain, the angst of teenage years. Well, I re-hashed Sharkey’s words to adopt the perspective of a parent watching from the sidelines…

Teenage Kids (to the tune of Teenage Kicks, obviously)

Well, teenage kids so hard to beat
They’re so much bigger with the stuff they eat
And, then there’s Red Bull and those energy drinks
Gives them a power that makes you think

I wanna talk to, wanna talk to right
My teenage kids but they’re out all night

I’m gonna call up on my mobile phone
But they’re on Facebook or they’re not alone
Bed room’s disgusting and it needs a clean
It’s the foulest state you’ve ever seen

I wanna talk to, wanna talk tonight
My teenage kids on Mighty White

Those teenage kids, well they’ve got it hard
Exams and pressures like we never had
Like who to friend on the Facebook next
Moral dilemma that’s got them vexed

I wanna talk to, wanna talk not fight
My teenage kids about wrong and right

I wanna talk to, wanna talk not fight
My teenage kids about wrong and right